Goodbye
by Storms-Are-My-Nature
Summary: WARNING: UNINTENTIONAL CHARACTER DEATH. Jack crashes the SUV and has to deal with the consequences...


I just used a random word generator to inspire for a quick little one-shot

**I just used a random word generator to inspire for a quick little one-shot. At least, if you want me to update my other stories, it will be a one-shot.**

**The word I got given was "Crash"...**

**DISCLAIMER: LOOK, D'YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT ANYBODY BUT RTD COULD KILL OFF TOSH AND OWEN? IF YOU COULD, BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! THEY EXIST (ALIVE) IN MY STORIES UNLESS I STATE OTHERWISE! OWEN ISN'T "DEAD" IN THIS FIC, OK?**

"Jack – slow down!" Owen yelled.

Jack threw him a wild grin and wrenched the wheel around suddenly. The SUV skidded around the corner with a screech of tyres and shot off down the lamp-lit street.

In the back, Ianto swallowed hard and closed his eyes. If they got out of this alive, Jack was so going to be on decaf for the next few weeks.

Next to him, Toshiko was clutching her modified PDA, staring fixedly at the screen and trying to ignore the feeling of nausea rising in her gut.

"Jack, you really need to slow down," Gwen said, fighting to keep calm. "We really have no death-wish at the moment."

"I am dead, Gwen," Owen reminded her. "How can I have a death-wish?"

Gwen looked as apologetic as she could whilst yelling at Jack.

"Jack! Listen to me! The weevils aren't killing anybody yet!"

Jack scowled. "We need to get there before anything _does_ happen!"

Ianto opened his mouth to help Gwen in her convincing when there was a loud bang and everything exploded in a loud crash.

Blackness crawled up to drag him down.

--

Jack stood by the hospital bed, head in his hands. He should have listened to them. He shouldn't have been driving so fast. He was to blame for everything.

A nurse came out through the door. Jack looked up.

"Mr Harkness?" she asked. If Jack hadn't been in shock he might have noticed her short skirt and toned legs. But he was in shock and he didn't notice.

"Yes?"

"We've got some bad news for you."

Jack looked at the floor. He didn't want to hear it.

"I'm glad you're sitting down. The doctors have all agreed that Mr Harper is in a coma."

Time seemed to freeze for Jack. At least it wasn't as bad as he had thought.

He heard a voice far-off, sounding lost and scared.

"Dr Harper."

It was his voice.

"Sorry?"

"It's Dr Harper, actually." Jack didn't know why he was sticking to something so unimportant, so childish. But he needed something to hang on to. "But what about the others?"

"Ms Sato is well on the way to recovery, you'll be pleased to hear." The nurse said with forced brightness. "She's got a couple of broken ribs and concussion, but she's been very lucky."

"Gwen?" He didn't want to think about Ianto. He had seen the blood, seen what had happened. "What about Gwen?"

"Ms Cooper has got concussion, a broken arm, numerous cuts and burns, and her shoulder has been dislocated."

"Oh. Is she OK?"

"She'll survive, yes."

There was no escaping from it now.

"What about – what about Ianto?"

The nurse seemed to survey him sympathetically for a moment.

"I think you'd better see for yourself."

Jack followed her through into Ianto's private room. As soon as he saw the figure in the bed he wanted to break down and cry, but he forced himself to the bedside.

The man in the bed was hardly recognisable as Ianto Jones. Jack knew that beneath all the bandages the face was torn beyond all recognition, the jaw ripped clean away and the nose smashed in.

The rib-cage was shattered, wrapped up in swathes of bandages, and the life-support machines beeped away faintly in the distance as Ianto fought for life.

"His legs have been broken in three places," the nurse explained. "And he's suffered some terrible wounds." She paused, wondering how to shape the words. "I'm really sorry, but the chances of him making it are slim."

Jack whipped his head around to stare at her, his blue eyes desperate and animalistic.

"He _will_ survive," he growled. "I'll make sure of that."

The nurse seemed lost for words.

"I...I'll leave you for a while, then," she said awkwardly, backing out the room. "Leave you in peace."

Jack seated himself in the chair by the bed. He wanted, more than anything, to hold the young man tight to himself and never let go, but he couldn't touch him at all. And that hurt as much as anything else. Not being able to be with the dying man in front of him, not being able to touch him, was more than Jack Harkness could bear.

He took one last anguished look at Ianto before burying his face in his hands and sobbing brokenly, letting the hot tears slide down his face.

When he ran out of tears, his eyes red and bloodshot, he was greeted by a pair of stormy grey-blue eyes, watching him.

"Yan," he whispered, inching closer. "Yan, I'm so sorry..."

Ianto stared at him, unable to speak or move.

"Really, Yan. I know that doesn't cover it, but..." Jack's vision was blurred by tears. "I never meant for this to happen."

Futile words. How could they ever tell Ianto what he wanted to say.

"You know, don't you?" Jack said suddenly. "You do know that this is it. This is goodbye."

Ianto blinked slowly, in acknowledgement.

"But I don't want to let you go."

Ianto stared at him.

You have to.

Jack gazed into those eyes for a few more moments.

"Goodbye, Ianto."

Ianto blinked. And then his eyes started to close.

Jack could do nothing but sit there, tears running down his cheeks, as the life-support machines droned out their message.

_Goodbye._

**Oh, I'm so sorry! –cries- I never meant to kill Ianto, let alone in such a badly written fic! I've half a mind to redo it, but I don't think I could, so I'll post it and see what you guys say. This story isn't meant to fit in with my other fics AT ALL because it came completely out of the blue. And I never wanted to kill Yan. Sorry. I'm so sorry. –sobs some more-**


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